Name	Tommy Rich
Names	Tommy RichardsonMr. R"Wildfire" Tommy RichThomas RichThe Big Don"Luscious" Tommy Rich
Height
Weight
Birth date	July 26, 1956
Birth place	Hendersonville, Tennessee
Billed	Hendersonville, Tennessee
Trainer	Jerry Jarrett
Name	Rich, Tommy
Date of birth	July 26, 1956
Place of birth	Hendersonville, Tennessee

Category:American professional wrestlers Category:1956 births Category:Living people Category:People from Sumner County, Tennessee Category:Professional wrestling managers and valets

Name	Bill Dundee
Names	Bill Dundee Crookshanks is the father of Jamie Dundee and the father-in-law of wrestler Bobby Eaton.
Name	Dundee, Bill
Date of birth	1943-10-24
Place of birth	Dundee, Scotland

Category:1943 births Category:Australian professional wrestlers Category:Living people Category:Professional wrestling managers and valets Category:Scottish professional wrestlers Category:American professional wrestlers Category:American sportspeople of Scottish descent Category:Professional wrestling announcers Category:Australian people of Scottish descent Category:British immigrants to Australia Category:Scottish emigrants Category:Scottish immigrants to Australia

{{Infobox wrestler |name=Jerry Lawler |image=10.9.10JerryLawlerByLuigiNovi.jpg |caption=Lawler at the New York Comic Convention in Manhattan, October 9, 2010. |names=Jerry "The King" Lawler |height= The two made an agreement in which Lawler would give Griffith free publicity in exchange for free wrestling training. While Lawler began his career as a heel, he became a face after splitting from Bass at the end of 1974. From 1993 to 1995, he feuded with Bret Hart and the rest of the Hart family. The feud began at King of the Ring when Lawler interrupted Hart's victory ceremony and attacked Bret. Lawler claimed that he was the only true king in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), and the two were scheduled to wrestle at SummerSlam to settle the dispute. At the event, however, Lawler came to the ring on crutches and claimed that he could not wrestle because of injuries suffered in a car accident. Hart faced Lawler's "court jester", Doink the Clown instead, and beat him by submission. Lawler then attacked Hart, revealing that he was not injured.

Simultaneously, in a form of cross-promotion, Lawler engaged in a bitter feud with Vince McMahon (who at the time was never acknowledged as the actual owner of the World Wrestling Federation) back in the USWA. There Lawler played the babyface to his hometown Memphis audience, whereas McMahon (who had always played face in the WWF) was being portrayed as a smug heel intent on dethroning Lawler as the king of professional wrestling. As part of the cross-promotion, McMahon, Bret and Owen Hart, Giant González, Tatanka, and "Macho Man" Randy Savage would begin appearing on USWA television to further the feud. While the program continued in the USWA, the feud between Lawler and McMahon would not be acknowledged on WWF television.

The Hart Family (Bret, Owen, Bruce, and Keith) were scheduled to face a team captained by Lawler in an elimination match at Survivor Series. However Shawn Michaels had to take Lawler's place because Lawler was facing legal troubles. As a result, the feud between Lawler and Vince McMahon back in the USWA was also abruptly discontinued. Lawler did not face Bret Hart at another pay-per-view until the first In Your House, when he beat Hart after Hakushi and his manager Shinja interfered. This set up a "Kiss My Foot" match at King of the Ring 1995, which Bret won. however, the feud quickly disappeared.

Following the end of his legal troubles which kept him out of Survivor Series 1993, Lawler eventually returned to the WWF at WrestleMania X, which was also the first WWF pay-per-view he ever commentated at. During the main event of the night, "Rowdy" Roddy Piper served as special guest referee for the second WWF championship match. During this Lawler began making disparaging remarks about him. Lawler would continue to berate Piper on later episodes of Monday Night Raw, including bringing a skinny kid into the ring dressed as Piper and forcing him to kiss his feet. This ultimately led to a match between the two at King of the Ring 1994 which Lawler lost.

In the fall of 1994, Lawler initiated a feud with Doink the Clown. Lawler popped the balloons carried by Doink's midget sidekick, Dink. After Doink and Dink retaliated, Lawler introduced a midget sidekick of his own, who he named Queasy. After the match, however, Lawler's team turned on him, joining with Doink's team to attack Lawler.

In late 1994 and early 1995, Lawler wrestled briefly in Smoky Mountain Wrestling while still continuing to commentate sporadically for the WWF.

In 1997, Lawler became heavily involved in the working relationship between the WWF and Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW). In interviews and commentary, he referred to the promotion as "Extremely Crappy Wrestling".

In mid-1997, Lawler entered the King of the Ring tournament for the first time and advanced to the semi-final round where he was defeated by Mankind. By the fall, the WWF introduced a new "light-heavyweight division" to compete with World Championship Wrestling's cruiserweight division. Lawler's son, Brian Christopher, was one of the major light-heavyweight superstars in the division, although, the WWF played up an angle where both Lawler and Christopher would deny their family relationship, even though the two would aide each other in matches and so on.

By 1998, Lawler rarely wrestled in the WWF and focused on commentary. Despite their feud in the USWA in 1993, by 1998, Vince McMahon had turned heel in the WWF for the first time and left the announce position, to which Lawler began praising McMahon's name on commentary as part of his own heel persona, much to the chagrin of Jim Ross. It was McMahon's departure from the commentary team which led to the strong on-screen chemistry between Lawler and Ross in subsequent years. This played a key role in a change of Lawler's character; although he still supported the heels, he showed a sense of right and wrong, and would condemn actions of heels when they went too far. This began when Lawler surprisingly attacked Tazz when he started bullying Ross. At SummerSlam, The King wrestled Tazz in defense of Ross. In his account, there was no clear notice as to why she was fired; when Jim Ross broke the news to him, he stated that the Creative Team simply said that Stacy had "an attitude problem." Vince McMahon told Lawler that he did not know exactly what the attitude problem was, and failed to straighten the issue to the Lawlers. Considering that McMahon was Head of the Talent Creative Team, Lawler found it highly suspicious that McMahon then allowed him simply to quit, as if McMahon knew it would happen.

Lawler has stated several theories as to why he was allowed to leave. His first involves the ascent of Carter's career alongside the downfall of Chyna's. In his contention, Chyna was jealous of his wife's push inside the company, in part due to the Right to Censor storyline, and in part because of his wife's offer to pose for Playboy magazine. Until that time, Chyna had been the second major wrestling star from the World Wrestling Federation to have done a piece in Playboy (after Sable); during Chyna's debut on the adult magazine, she had suddenly broken her friendship with Carter.

In interviews, he has also stated that there may have been an alternate reason, namely, that the company wanted to fire him. He also criticizes McMahon for the cavalier attitude he had given him on the day he quit. In his recollection, Jim Ross was fired by McMahon with the exact same demeanor while struck with a bout of Bell's palsy in 1994, a time when Ross' "usefulness" had run out. Lawler felt that Carter's release was an attempt to remove him as well, stating that the company was well-aware that he would walk-out alongside his wife. Lawler's replacement with Paul Heyman launched a theory in which Heyman was promoted at Lawler's expense. Internet rumors circulated that the company was in better terms with Heyman than Lawler, and used remarks Lawler had made in criticism of ECW to launch a theory whereby Heyman wanted Lawler out. Lawler has stated repeatedly that he has no resentment towards Paul Heyman, accusing the media and internet theorists of spreading false information. In July, five months after the couple left the WWF, Lawler and Carter divorced.

During this time, Lawler made appearances on the independent circuit in both Australia and North America,

In addition, he has had sporadic matches with up-and-coming Raw superstars, such as Randy Orton, Muhammad Hassan, Gregory Helms and the team of Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase, Jr.

In 2003, Raw's announce team of Lawler and Jim Ross feuded with Sunday Night Heat's team of Jonathan Coachman and Al Snow.

In July 2006, Randy Orton began a feud with Hulk Hogan. Lawler attacked Orton in defense of Hogan, which set up a match between them on Raw. Orton defeated Lawler after a low blow and an RKO.

On March 31, 2007, Lawler was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame by William Shatner, whom Lawler had a memorable altercation with on a January 1995 episode of Raw. In August, King Booker claimed to be the only one entitled to be known as "King". After being beaten by Booker in the ring, Lawler was supposed to be forced to crown his opponent at an August 13 show in Madison Square Garden. During the ceremony, however, Lawler announced another king as a new opponent for Booker, "The King of Kings" Triple H. This led to a worked brawl between Lawler and Booker. Later that summer, he teamed with "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan to face Ted DiBiase and Cody Rhodes for the World Tag Team Championship but lost.

On the March 23, 2009 edition of Raw, Lawler challenged Chris Jericho to a match because of his disrespect and erractic behavior to WWE Hall of Famers, which Jericho accepted. The following week, Lawler lost to Jericho after submitting to the Walls of Jericho. After the match, Jericho outlined how he would remain supreme against WWE Hall of Famers at WrestleMania XXV.

On the Monday July 20, 2009 episode of Monday Night Raw, Lawler announced himself as the opponent against The Brian Kendrick. He went on to defeat Kendrick. On the November 16 edition of Raw, after recent acquisition Sheamus attacked the timekeeper in frustration for not receiving an opponent, Lawler left the announce table to confront Sheamus and check on the victim, only to receive a kick to the head for his troubles. On June 7, 2010, during a Viewer's Choice edition of Raw, Lawler lost his crown to the IRS because he had apparently not paid his taxes, but it was regained by Quinton Jackson later on. At the end of the night, Lawler was one of the many employees at ringside that were brutally attacked by the season 1 NXT rookies. Lawler however, was the only person at ringside that fought back, as he used punches and chops to attack the NXT rookies assaulting him until it was a 3-on-1 assault. The following week on Raw, Lawler and the Raw roster fought off the now-called "The Nexus" when they attempted to ambush John Cena a second time. On June 28, Lawler, Ricky Steamboat, Michael Hayes, Arn Anderson, Mike Rotunda, and Dean Malenko were severely attacked by the Nexus, just as they were celebrating Steamboat's career. Josh Mathews replaced Lawler on color commentator for the remainder of the show.

On the July 26, 2010 episode of Monday Night Raw, Lawler teamed with Mark Henry, Goldust, Yoshi Tatsu, Evan Bourne and The Hart Dynasty in a tag team elimination match versus the Nexus. Lawler was eliminated by Heath Slater.

Feud with The Miz, Michael Cole & Alex Riley (2010–present)

On the November 29, 2010 King of the Ring episode of Raw, Lawler, celebrating his 61st birthday, challenged The Miz to a WWE Championship match. The Miz declined the offer but the anonymous Raw General Manager approved of the match and scheduled it as the main event, also making it a Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match, to promote the upcoming pay-per-view. The match would be built as Lawler's first shot at the WWE Championship and, despite holding his own and even having the upper hand in the match against The Miz, Lawler lost after interference from Alex Riley and broadcast partner, Michael Cole. Lawler retaliated by shoving and punching Cole in the face. On the December 6 episode of Raw, Cole and Lawler argued in the ring, with each man demanding an apology from the other. The anonymous Raw General Manager would then order them to shake hands, and if Lawler were to hit Cole anytime after the handshake, he would be fired.

Lawler's feud continued with The Miz on the December 20 Raw, where Lawler teamed up with Randy Orton and John Morrison to take on Miz, Alex Riley and Sheamus in a 6-man Tag match where Lawler pinned Miz to win the match. The following week Lawler defeated Miz again, this time by count-out. Later on that same night, Miz attacked Lawler from behind as he sat at the announce table. On the January 10, 2011 episode of Raw, Lawler once again teamed with Orton to face The Miz and Alex Riley, where Lawler would get the win again, this time pinning Riley.

Memphis Wrestling (2007)

In 2007 it was announced that Lawler would be participating in a 'dream match' with Hulk Hogan which had been set to take place in the Memphis Wrestling promotion on April 27. The match had been heavily-hyped by promoter Corey Maclin as Hogan had competed in the Memphis territory early in his career. On April 12, however, Lawler pulled out of the event citing his contractual obligations to WWE rendering him unable to appear on a show that was due to be filmed by VH1 for the television show Hogan Knows Best. On January 11, 2008, Maclin revealed he has recently filed a lawsuit against WWE, claiming that pressure on Lawler (and others) to withdraw from the event violated section two of the Sherman Antitrust Act.

Jerry Lawler's Memphis Wrestling (2010)

In May 2010, Jerry announced a new TV wrestling show called, "Jerry Lawler's Memphis Wrestling." The show is set to debut on Ion Network Channel 50 in Memphis on June 5 at the classic 11AM timespot. 3 episodes were taped May 20, 2010 at the Vine in Memphis. On September 11, 2010, Jerry announced that there would no longer be any new shows, but that the talent was still available for fundraisers.

Non–wrestling endeavors

Lawler has created some musical recordings. Among these are two late-70s singles: "Cadillac Man/Memphis", and "Bad News". During his feud with manager Jimmy Hart (Lawler is a factor for "The Mouth of the South" Jimmy Hart entering professional wrestling; Lawler wanted to record a wrestling album with him singing and, since they had gone to school together, he called Hart and asked him to be a part of it) in the mid-80s, Hart became known as "The Wimp", a nickname given to him by Lawler and chanted by fans. Hart was the subject of the song "Wimpbusters", which was sung by Lawler to the tune of the popular hit Ghostbusters by Ray Parker, Jr.. A music video was also made, featuring Lawler, legendary announcer Lance Russell, and wrestlers such as Randy Savage, Jimmy Valiant, Dutch Mantel, Tommy Rich, and Rufus R. Jones, along with footage of "The King" beating Hart and his "First Family." A very young Brian Christopher also made an appearance as a young child being bullied, and another child is seen wearing a replica of Tully Blanchard's West Texas State jersey. He also recorded a CD titled "Memphis' Other King".

In 1998, Lawler appeared in the movie Man on the Moon, starring Jim Carrey. His platform focused on making the streets safer for residents, beautifying the city, and improving the quality of education. In addition, he vowed to attract businesses to Memphis, improve the flow of traffic, create more parks, and decrease property taxes. Ultimately, however, Mayor Willie Herenton was easily reelected.

Personal life

Lawler has been married three times. He has two children, Brian and Kevin, from his marriage to his first wife, Kay. His son Brian, who has previously wrestled in WWE as "Brian Christopher" and "Grandmaster Sexay," is now performing in independent promotions. His other son, Kevin, has dabbled in professional wrestling as both a referee and wrestler under the names "Kevin Christian" and "Freddie Gilbert," the latter of which was used during a stint as the "brother" of Eddie Gilbert. In his book It's Good To Be The King ... Sometimes, Lawler says he believes Kevin's short physical stature has prevented him from reaching success similar to Brian. In August 2008, Kevin was arrested on charges of trespassing and aggravated burglary. After divorcing Kay, Lawler was later married to Paula from February 14, 1982 to October 2, 1991. They married in September 2000. Lawler then left the company in protest. He soon rejoined the WWF in November 2001.

Lawler is the cousin of professional wrestler The Honky Tonk Man.

In 1993, Lawler was indicted for raping and sodomizing a 15-year old girl, who later admitted she had lied about the incident, which caused him to miss Survivor Series 1993. Lawler was arrested on March 16, 1999 after throwing a ticket at a police officer and running over the officer's foot.

Though he has spent most of his life in Memphis, Lawler did spend a part of his childhood in Ohio after his father was transferred to a job in the state. Though this stay was brief, it would have an influence on Lawler throughout his life thereafter. He often cites Cleveland as his second-favorite city behind only Memphis and is a die-hard fan of both the Cleveland Indians and the Cleveland Browns. When WWE comes to Cleveland, Lawler will usually wear a Browns jersey or an Indians jersey, and during baseball season, he will throw out the first pitch at an Indians game.

Jerry Lawler is also a collector of Coca-Cola merchandise.

In wrestling

Finishing moves

Diving fist drop

Elbow drop

Scott Bowden

Jimmy Hart

Jimmy Kent

NWA Mid-America / Continental Wrestling Association / Championship Wrestling Association

AWA Southern Heavyweight Championship (52 times)

AWA Southern Tag Team Championship (10 times) – with Jimmy Valiant (1), Bill Dundee (3), Mongolian Stomper (1), Jos LeDuc (1), Austin Idol (1), Plowboy Frazier (1), and Big Bubba (1)

AWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)¹

AWA World Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Bill Dundee

CWA Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

NWA Mid-America Heavyweight Championship (3 times)

NWA Southern Heavyweight Championship (Memphis version) (7 times)

NWA Southern Heavyweight Championship (Mid-America version) (10 times)

NWA Southern Tag Team Championship (Mid-America version) (9 times) – with Jim White (7), Plowboy Frazier (1), and Bill Dundee (1)

NWA Tri-State Heavyweight Championship (Alabama version) (1 time)

NWA Tri-State Tag Team Championship (Alabama version) (2 times) - with Steve Lawler

NWA United States Tag Team Championship (Mid-America version) (1 time) - with Jackie Fargo

WCWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

Gulf Coast Championship Wrestling

NWA Tennessee Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Jim White

Jersey All Pro Wrestling

JAPW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

Maryland Championship Wrestling

MCW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

MCW Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with The Bruiser

Memphis Championship Wrestling

MCW Southern Heavyweight Championship (2 times)

Memphis Wrestling

*Memphis Wrestling Southern Heavyweight Championship (2 times)

*Memphis Wrestling Television Championship (1 time)

NWA Polynesian Wrestling

NWA Polynesian Pacific Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

NWA Virginia

NWA All-Star Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

Power Pro Wrestling

PPW Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Bill Dundee

Pro Wrestling Illustrated

PWI Feud of the Year (1992) with Jeff Jarrett vs. The Moondogs

PWI Feud of the Year (1993) vs. Bret Hart

PWI Most Inspirational Wrestler of the Year (1988)

PWI ranked him #56 of the 100 best tag teams of the "PWI Years" with Bill Dundee in 2003

PWI ranked him #12 of the 500 best singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 1991

PWI ranked him #23 of the 500 best singles wrestlers in the "PWI Years" in 2003

Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum

(Class of 2011)

Smoky Mountain Wrestling

SMW Heavyweight Championship (2 times)

United States Wrestling Association

USWA Heavyweight Championship (2 times)

USWA Texas Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

USWA World Tag Team Championship (6 times) – with Jeff Jarrett (4) and Bill Dundee (2)

World Class Wrestling Association

WCWA Texas Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

World Wrestling Federation / World Wrestling Entertainment

*Slammy Award for I'm Talking and I Can't Shut Up (1996)

*Slammy Award for Most Embarrassing Moment (1996) Kissing his own foot

WWE Hall of Fame (Class of 2007)

Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards

*Feud of the Year (1987) vs. Austin Idol and Tommy Rich

*Feud of the Year (1992) with Jeff Jarrett vs. The Moondogs

*Feud of the Year (1993) vs. Bret Hart

*Worst Feud of the Year (1994) vs. Doink the Clown

*Worst Worked Match of the Year (1994) with Sleazy, Queasy and Cheesy vs. Clowns R' Us at Survivor Series

Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (Class of 1996)

¹These title changes took place during an AWA hosted card as part of an interpromotional relationship between the American Wrestling Association, World Class Wrestling Association, and Continental Wrestling Association. Lawler also won the championship during a CWA hosted card. ²Lawler won the championship while wrestling on a CWA card in Memphis, Tennessee during the time when the AWA and CWA had a working partnership. It was the same situation during both of Lawler and Dundee's AWA World Tag Team Championship reigns.

References

Further reading

External links

Memphis Wrestling History

WWE profile

Match History at Indy Wrestling News

Category:1949 births Category:American color commentators Category:American professional wrestlers Category:American professional wrestlers of Irish descent Category:Fictional kings Category:Living people Category:People from Memphis, Tennessee Category:Professional wrestling announcers Category:Professional wrestling trainers Category:WWE Hall of Fame

Name	Ric Flair
Names	Ric Flair
Billed	Charlotte, North Carolina (born February 25, 1949) Also known as "The Nature Boy", Flair is one of the most well known professional wrestlers in the world.He is currently working for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA)

Category:1949 births Category:American adoptees Category:American professional wrestlers Category:American writers Category:Living people Category:North Carolina Republicans Category:People from Charlotte, North Carolina Category:People from Minneapolis, Minnesota Category:Professional wrestling executives Category:Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame Category:Professional wrestling managers and valets Category:Professional wrestling trainers Category:Survivors of aviation accidents or incidents Category:WWE Hall of Fame Category:People from Beaver Dam, Wisconsin

Name	Austin Idol
Names	Mike McCord (born on October 26, 1949) is an American retired professional wrestler, better known by his ring name the "Universal Heartthrob" Austin Idol.
Name	Idol, Austin
Date of birth	1949-10-26
Place of birth	Tampa, Florida

Category:American professional wrestlers Category:1949 births Category:Living people Category:People from Florida

Name	Terrence Funk
Names	Terry FunkChainsaw Charlie
Trainer	Dory Funk He is one of six men inducted into each of the WWE Hall of Fame, the WCW Hall of Fame, the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame, the NWA Hall of Fame, and the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame. Funk was a primary subject of the documentary film Beyond the Mat. Funk is often noted for the longevity of his career, which has included multiple "retirement" matches.

Category:1944 births Category:Actors from Texas Category:American film actors Category:American professional wrestlers Category:American stunt performers Category:American television actors Category:Living people Category:People from Amarillo, Texas Category:Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame Category:Professional wrestling trainers

Category:WWE Hall of Fame

Name	Jimmy Valiant
Caption	Valiant at the Big Apple Con, November 14, 2008.
Names	"Handsome" Jimmy ValiantBig Jim Vallen"Boogie Woogie Man"Charlie BrownKing James Valiant
Height	6 ft 2 in (1.91 m)
Weight	252 lb (113 kg)
Birth date	August 06, 1942
Birth place	Franklin County, Tennessee
Resides	Shawsville, Virginia
Billed	New York City
Trainer	Verne Gagne
Debut	1964
Retired	2005

James Harold Fanning (born August 6, 1942) is a former professional wrestler better known as Jimmy Valiant.

Personal life

Jimmy Valiant was born in Franklin County, Tennessee, near Tullahoma as the youngest of five children of James and Effie Fanning. He later incorporated the names of his four sisters - Louise, Christine, Charlena and Patrica - into the spider web tattoo on his upper arm.

He later moved to Willingboro, New Jersey. He married Clara, with whom he fathered three children: Robin, Rhonda, and Dana. With Felicia, he has his youngest son Handsome. He is now married to Angel. He has 6 grandchildren: Lonna, Jenae, Beau, Chassie, Clarissa, and Delilah.

Career

He started wrestling in 1964 as Big Jim Vallen. He went to the World Wide Wrestling Federation in the 1970s as Handsome Jimmy Valiant and formed a team with Johnny Valiant that would dominate the tag team scene for a while as WWWF Tag Team champions.

During the late 1970s - early 1980s, Valiant was a central player in the Memphis, Tennessee wrestling scene. He feuded regularly with Jerry Lawler and teamed with Bill Dundee to dominate the tag team matches of that time. He even recorded a song, "The Ballad of Handsome Jimmy" that began, "I've been rolling into Mempho ... TWA ... [T]ell all the women Handsome Jimmy's on the way..." The song was used in wrestling arenas as his entry music, and it became a mainstay on some Memphis radio stations for a few years. Despite the Memphis promotion desperately wanting to keep him in Memphis full-time, even offering to buy him a house in Memphis according to Jerry Lawler's biography, Valiant decided to move on after holding the AWA Southern Heavyweight title for roughly a year. Valiant also spent a brief amount of time in Jim Crockett Promotions in the late 1970s as the heel King James Valiant managed by Lord Alfred Hayes.

In the early 1980s, Valiant returned as a babyface to NWA's Jim Crockett Promotions as "Boogie Woogie Man" Jimmy Valiant and called his fans "The Street People". His theme music around this time was "Boy From New York City", by The Manhattan Transfer. While in Jim Crockett Promotions, he would sometimes appear in a black bandit-style mask and call himself "Charlie Brown from Outta Town." This usually occurred when Valiant was (in kayfabe) "banned" from wrestling. "Charlie Brown" was billed as someone other than Valiant, despite "Brown" having Valiant's legendarily prodigious beard.

After 1983, he feuded heavily with Paul Jones and his "Army" of wrestlers that included The Barbarian, Baron Von Raschke, Teijho Khan, and The Assassins. During this three-year freud, Valiant received help from Hector Guerrero and "Raging Bull" Manny Fernandez. In late 1985, Valiant and Fernandez formed a team called B and B Connection ("Boogie Woogie" and "Bull"), Junkyard Dog, Pez Whatley (who however turned on Valiant, shaved his head and joined Jones' Army as Shaska Whatley), Dusty Rhodes and Ron Garvin.

At a supershow called 'Boogie Man Jam '84' in Greensboro, NC, which also featured an NWA World title match with Ric Flair defending vs. Ricky Steamboat that went to a one hour draw, Valiant defeated Assassin II, who was unmasked and revealed as Hercules Hernandez. At one point, Valiant shaved Jones' head, leading to Jones adopting a more military look. In the summer of 1986, Fernandez accepted Jones' money and turned on Valiant starting a feud between the two. Jones' dissolved his Army shortly afterwards, ending the feud.

In the late 1980s, he teamed with Hector Guerrero (then masked as Laser Tron) and Bugsy McGraw and feuded with The New Breed. When Jim Crockett Promotions became WCW, Valiant left and returned to Memphis to wrestle in the USWA.

Since then, Valiant has primarily wrestled in the independents and has managed to wrestle in 5 decades, his last match occurring on January 29, 2005 at WrestleReunion. He is now retired from active competition in the sport and enjoys his time with his wife Angel and training wrestlers at Boogie's Wrestling Camp located in Shawsville, Virginia.

Valiant will wrestle for NWA Indiana, Friday November 26, 2010 at the Lafayette Theater in Lafayette Indiana to enter his 6th Decade of professional wrestling. NWA World Champion 'Scrap Iron' Adam Pearce will defend his title that night against Flash Flanigan. Details are available at www.thenwaindiana.com

Jimmy Valiant will be wrestling for ASW (All Star Wrestling) on December 11, 2010 in Danville, WV. His opponent that night is Randy "The King" Allen. Then he will wrestle in Kingsport, Tennessee on December 25, 2010 and this will be his very last match. Details are at www.aswwv.com

In wrestling

Finishing moves

*Body slam

*Elbow drop

*Forehead bite

'''Managers

* Major Duke George

*Grand Wizard

*Lou Albano

*Lord Alfred Hayes

*Street Lady

*The Goon

*Jimmy Hart

*Bobby Heenan

Championships and accomplishments

Cauliflower Alley Club

*Other honoree (1997)

Championship Wrestling from Florida

*NWA Florida Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Johnny Valiant

*NWA United States Tag Team Championship (Florida version) (1 time) - with Johnny Valiant

Georgia Championship Wrestling

*NWA Georgia Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Johnny Valiant

All-Star Wrestling Federation

*ASWF Hall of Famer

*ASWF Venue named after Jimmy Valiant, dubbed, Valiant Arena - www.aswfwrestling.com

Maple Leaf Wrestling

*NWA Television Championship (2 times)

Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling

*NWA Television Championship (2 times)

Northern Wrestling Federation

NWF Championship (1 time)

NWA Mid-America / Continental Wrestling Association

*AWA Southern Heavyweight Championship (5 times)

*AWA Southern Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Rocky Johnson

*CWA Tag Team Championship (3 times) - with Bill Dundee (2) and Don Carson (1)

*NWA Mid-America Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

*NWA Southern Heavyweight Championship (Memphis version) (1 time)

NWA San Francisco

*NWA World Tag Team Championship (San Francisco version) (1 time) - with Johnny Valiant

Pro Wrestling Illustrated

*PWI Tag Team of the Year award in 1974 - with Johnny Valiant.

*PWI ranked him # 274 of the 500 best singles wrestlers during the "PWI Years" in 2003.

United States Wrestling Association

*USWA Southern Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

*USWA Unified World Heavyweight Championship (2 times)

World Wide Wrestling Federation / World Wrestling Federation)

*WWWF World Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Johnny Valiant

*WWF Hall of Fame (Class of 1996)

World Wrestling Association

*WWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

WWA World Tag Team Championship (3 times) - with Johnny Valiant

Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards

*Worst Tag Team (1987) with Bugsy McGraw

References

External links

WWE Hall of Fame Page with Johnny Valiant

Memphis Wrestling History

2008 Audio Interview with "The Boogie Woogie Man" Handsome Jimmy Valiant

Category:1942 births Category:American professional wrestlers Category:Living people Category:People from Hammond, Indiana Category:People from Burlington County, New Jersey Category:WWE Hall of Fame

{{Infobox Wrestler |name=George Wagner |image=Gorgeous George.jpg |img_capt=Gorgeous George and wife Betty, 1950 |names=Gorgeous GeorgeGeorge Wagner |real_height= |real_weight= |height= |weight= |birth_date= March 24, 1915 |death_date= December 26, 1963 |birth_place=Butte, Nebraska He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2010.

Early life

George Raymond Wagner was born March 24, 1915 in Butte, Nebraska. For a time, he and his parents lived on a farm near the village of Phoenix in Holt County and probably in Seward County before they moved to Waterloo, Iowa and later Sioux City. When George was age seven, his family moved to Houston, Texas, where he associated with kids from a tough neighborhood. As a child, he trained at the local YMCA and often staged matches against his friends. In 1929, Wagner dropped out of Milby High School at age 14, and worked odd jobs to help support his family. At this time, he competed at carnivals, where he could earn 35 cents for a win. By age 17, he was getting booked by the region’s top promoter, Morris Siegel, and in 1938, he won his first title by defeating Buck Lipscomb for Northwest Middleweight crown. Moreover, on May 19, 1939, he captured the Pacific Coast Light Heavyweight Championship.

Career

At 5’9” and 215 pounds, Wagner was not particularly physically imposing by professional wrestling standards, nor was he an exceptionally gifted athlete. Nevertheless, he soon developed a reputation as a solid in-ring worker. In the late 1930s, he met Betty Hanson, whom he would eventually marry in an in-ring ceremony. When the wedding proved a good drawing card, the couple re-enacted it in arenas across the country (which thus enlightened Wagner to the potential entertainment value that was left untapped within the industry). Around this same time, Vanity magazine published a feature article about a pro wrestler named Lord Patrick Lansdowne, who entered the ring accompanied by two valets while wearing a velvet robe and doublet. Wagner was impressed with the bravado of such a character, but he believed that he could take it to a much greater extreme. What he needed was a new professional persona. In Portland, Oregon Elizabeth “Betty” née Hanson, George’s wife, told Dean Higinbotham, the nephew of Betty's sister, Evangeline “Eva,” how George got the name Gorgeous George. In the early 1940s George had a wrestling match at the Portland Oregon Armory. As he walked down the aisle to the ring, there were two mature women on his right, two rows back from the ring. One of the women loudly exclaimed: “Oh, isn’t he gorgeous.” That word “gorgeous” struck George and he immediately felt he had found his new professional persona. He would be “Gorgeous George.” Elsie Hanson, Betty’s mother, was a skilled seamstress. George asked Elsie to make him some resplendent capes that would accentuate his new persona. George wore those capes in all his future matches.

Subsequently George debuted his new “glamour boy” image on a 1941 card in Eugene, Oregon; and he quickly antagonized the fans with his exaggerated effeminate behavior when the ring announcer introduced him as “Gorgeous George.” Such showmanship was unheard of for the time; and consequently, arena crowds grew in size as fans turned out to ridicule George (who relished the sudden attention).

Gorgeous George was soon recruited to Los Angeles by promoter Johnny Doyle. Known as the "Human Orchid," his persona was created in part by growing his hair long, dyeing it platinum blonde, and putting gold-plated bobby pins in it (which he deemed “Georgie Pins” while distributing them to the audience). Furthermore, he transformed his ring entrance into a bona-fide spectacle that would often take up more time than his actual matches. He was the first wrestler to really use entrance music, as he strolled nobly to the ring to the sounds of "Pomp and Circumstance," followed by his valet and a purple spotlight. Wearing an elegant robe sporting an array of sequins, Gorgeous George was always escorted down a personal red carpet by his ring valet “Jeffries,” who would carry a silver mirror while spreading rose petals at his feet. While George removed his robe, Jeffries would spray the ring with disinfectant (which reportedly consisted of Chanel No. 5 perfume), which George referred to as "Chanel #10" ("Why be half-safe?" he was famous for saying) before he would start wrestling. Moreover, George required that his valets spray the referee’s hands before the official was allowed to check him for any illegal objects, which thus prompted his now-famous outcry “Get your filthy hands off me!” Once the match finally began, he would cheat in every way he could. Gorgeous George was the industry’s first true cowardly villain, and he would cheat at every opportunity, which infuriated the crowd. His credo was "Win if you can, lose if you must, but always cheat!" This flamboyant image and his showman's ability to work a crowd were so successful in the early days of television that he became the most famous wrestler of his time, drawing furious heel heat wherever he appeared.

It was with the advent of television, however, that George’s character exploded into the biggest drawing card the industry had ever known. With the networks looking for cheap but effective programming to fill its time slots, pro wrestling’s glorified action became a genuine “hit” with the viewing public, as it was the first program of any kind to draw a real profit. Consequently, it was Gorgeous George who brought the sport into the nation’s living rooms, as his histrionics and melodramatic behavior made him a larger-than-life figure in American pop-culture. His first television appearance took place on November 11, 1947 (an event that was recently named among the top 100 televised acts of the 20th century by Entertainment Weekly) and he immediately became a national celebrity at the same level of Lucille Ball and Bob Hope (who personally donated hundreds of chic robes for George’s collection) while changing the course of the industry forever. No longer was pro wrestling simply about the in-ring action, but George had created a new sense of theatrics and character performance that had not previously existed. Moreover, in a very real sense, it was Gorgeous George who single-handedly established television as a viable entertainment medium that could potentially reach millions of homes across the country (in fact, it is said that George was probably responsible for selling as many TV sets as Milton Berle).

In addition to his grandiose theatrics, Gorgeous George was an accomplished wrestler as well. While many may have considered him a mere gimmick wrestler, he was actually a very competent freestyle wrestler, having started learning the sport in amateur wrestling as a teenager, and he could handle himself quite well if it came to a legitimate contest. The great Lou Thesz, who would take this AWA title away from Wagner, and who was one of the best "legit" wrestlers ever in professional wrestling, displayed some disdain for the gimmick wrestlers. Nevertheless, he admitted that Wagner "could wrestle pretty well," but added that, "he [Wagner] could never draw a fan until he became Gorgeous George."

On March 26, 1947, he defeated Enrique Torres to capture the Los Angeles Heavyweight Championship. Then on February 22, 1949, George was booked as the feature attraction at New York’s Madison Square Garden in what would be pro wrestling’s first return to the building in 12 years. By the 1950s, Gorgeous George’s starpower was so huge that he was able to command 50% of the gate for his performances, which allowed him to earn over $100,000 a year, thus making him the highest paid athlete in the world. Moreover, on May 26, 1950, Gorgeous George defeated Don Eagle to claim the AWA (Boston) World Heavyweight Championship, which he held for several months. During this reign he was beaten by the National Wrestling Alliance World Champion Lou Thesz in a highly-publicized bout in Chicago. However, perhaps Gorgeous George’s most famous match was against his longtime rival Whipper Billy Watson on March 12, 1959, in which a beaten George had his treasured golden locks shaved bald before 20,000 delighted fans at Toronto’s Maple Leaf Gardens and millions more on national television.

In one of his final matches, Gorgeous George later faced off against (and lost to) an up-and-coming Bruno Sammartino, though he would lose his precious hair again when he was defeated by the Destroyer in a hair vs. mask match at the Olympic Auditorium on November 7, 1962. This would ultimately be his last match, as advanced age and extended alcohol abuse had taken their toll on his body; and his doctors ordered him to quit wrestling.

On March 27 he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame class of 2010. His 97 year-old former wife, Betty Wagner accepted the honor on his behalf, answering questions and telling the story of how he became Gorgeous George.

Retirement and death

As his wrestling career wound down, Wagner invested $250,000 in a turkey ranch built in Beaumont, California, and the wrestler used his showman skills to promote his prized poultry at his wrestling matches and sport shows, popular during his heyday. He raised turkeys and owned a cocktail lounge in Van Nuys, California, which he named "Gorgeous George's Ringside Restaurant".

In 1962, Wagner was diagnosed with a serious liver condition. On advice of his doctors, he retired. This, combined with failed finances (due to bad investments) worsened his health. He suffered a heart attack on December 24, 1963 and died two days later, at age 48.

A plaque at his gravesite reads "Love to our Daddy Gorgeous George".

Legacy

Muhammad Ali and James Brown acknowledged that their own approach to flamboyant self-promotion was influenced by George. A 19-year old Ali met a 46-year old George at a Las Vegas radio station. During George's radio interview, the wrestler's promo caught the attention of the future heavyweight champion. If George lost to Classy Freddie Blassie, George exclaimed, "I'll crawl across the ring and cut my hair off! But that's not gonna happen because I'm the greatest wrestler in the world!" Ali recalled, "I saw 15,000 people comin' to see this man get beat. And his talking did it. I said, 'This is a gooood idea!'" In the locker room afterward, the seasoned wrestler gave the future legend some invaluable advice: "A lot of people will pay to see someone shut your mouth. So keep on bragging, keep on sassing and always be outrageous."

In September 2008, the first full length biography of Gorgeous George was published by HarperEntertainment Press. The title of the 304 page book is Gorgeous George: The Outrageous Bad Boy Wrestler who Created American Pop Culture by John Capouya. In the 2005 book, I Feel Good: A Memoir in a Life of Soul, James Brown said he used many of Gorgeous George's antics to "create the James Brown you see on stage".

The 1951 Warner Brothers Merrie Melodies cartoon Bunny Hugged featured the one-shot character "Ravishing Ronald", modeled after Gorgeous George. The Bowery Boys also lampooned Gorgeous George (with Huntz Hall as a much-heralded wrestler) in the 1952 feature No Holds Barred. Musical performers such as Liberace, Little Richard, Elton John and Morris Day show signs of the George meme. Some consider George to have been an early example camp.

The 1978 motion picture The One and Only starring Henry Winkler was loosely based on his career.

Other media

He appeared in one motion picture, Alias the Champ, made in 1949.

Personal life

He was married twice, first to Betty Hanson in the 1939 in Eugene, Oregon inside a wrestling ring.

Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards

*Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (Class of 1996)

Other titles

*Pacific Coast Light Heavyweight Championship (2 times)

*Pacific Northwest Middleweight Championship (1 time)

References

External links

House of Deception many photos of Gorgeous George

Wrestling Museum Hall of Fame

Nebraska State Education

Wrestling legends – discusses origin of gimmick

Category:American professional wrestlers Category:Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame Category:People from Seward County, Nebraska Category:People from Houston, Texas Category:People from Beaumont, California Category:Deaths from myocardial infarction Category:Burials at Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery Category:1915 births Category:1963 deaths

Name	Doug Gilbert
Names	Dangerous Doug GilbertThe Dark PatriotNightmare FreddieJason the Terrible
Height
Weight
Birth date	January 05, 1969
Birth place	Lexington, Tennessee
Debut	1986

Doug Gilbert (born January 5, 1969) is a professional wrestler from Memphis, Tennessee who wrestles on the independent circuit. He is the brother of "Hot Stuff" Eddie Gilbert and the son of wrestler/referee/promoter Tommy Gilbert.

Career

Power Pro Wrestling shoot interview

Gilbert helped hasten the demise of Power Pro Wrestling, a short-lived local Memphis wrestling promotion, by giving a shoot interview where he revealed to the audience that Brian Christopher held his championship titles in the United States Wrestling Association because his father Jerry Lawler owned the company. He also accused the promoter Randy Hales of smoking crack during the broadcast and accused Lawler of raping a 13-year-old girl, but failed to mention that the alleged victim recanted her story and that Lawler had been cleared.

Nightmare Freddie gimmick

Gilbert was given the Nightmare Freddie gimmick by his father, Tommy Gilbert, who had returned to wrestling after being a referee for a time but opted to stay under a mask during the tenure. Nightmare Freddy (or just Freddy, as he was usually called) was a fairly successful character in the Memphis area and was actually a babyface for most of his run. He feuded with the Master of Pain.

Freddy was, of course, based on Freddy Krueger, the main character in the A Nightmare on Elm Street films. He even came out wearing the bladed glove. Under Doug's tenure under the rubber mask, Freddy teamed with a Jason (from Friday the 13th) inspired wrestler as well as a Frankenstein, a Wolfman, and Leatherface. Freddy also toured in Japan where he gained even more popularity and helped start a "movie monster/wrestler" boom, most notably in the W*ing federation, where Doug joined his brother Eddie in an infamous match. Feeling betrayed by the company, Doug, wrestling as Nightmare Freddy, and Eddie, as The Boogeyman (a gimmick inspired by the main character from the Halloween series of horror movies), broke character after a tag match, removed their masks and shot on the company. Doug continues to wrestle as Freddy in Japan and is still very popular, fighting other “monster” wrestlers like Leatherface and The Cryptkeeper.

Miscellaneous

Gilbert made one appearance in the World Wrestling Federation, competing under his own name as an entrant in the 1996 Royal Rumble match. He entered at #14, and lasted 3 minutes before being eliminated by Vader.

In wrestling

Finishing moves

*Clawhold

*Michinoku driver II

Managers

Downtown Bruno

Big Business Brown

Championships and accomplishments

Extreme Championship Wrestling

:*ECW World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Eddie Gilbert

Global Wrestling Federation

:*GWF North American Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

International Championship Wrestling (New England)

:*ICW Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Dennis Condrey

International Wrestling Association of Japan

:*IWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

Independent Wrestling Association Mid-South

:*IWA Mid-South Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

NWA Mid-South

:*NWA Mid-South Heavyweight Championship (2 times)

NWA Mississippi / NWA Battlzeone

:*NWA Mississippi Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

NWA New Jersey

:*NWA National Heavyweight Championship (2 times) :*NWA United States Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Buddy Landel

United States Wrestling Association

:*USWA Heavyweight Championship (5 times) :*USWA World Tag Team Championship (6 times) – with Tony Anthony (2), and Tommy Rich (4)

References

External links

Category:1969 births Category:Living people Category:American professional wrestlers

Category:People from Memphis, Tennessee

Donald Wayne Bass (March 11, 1956October 26, 1989) was a professional American football tight end in the National Football League. He played five seasons for the Cincinnati Bengals (1978-1981) and the New Orleans Saints (1982). He played college football at the University of Houston. He has two living children. Joshua M. Bass, who resides in Houston, Texas, and Ron Bass.

In October 1989, Bass was shot and killed by Darrell Billingslea, after Bass allegedly told police to search Billingslea's motel room for drugs.

References

Category:1956 births Category:1989 deaths Category:People from Fort Worth, Texas Category:Players of American football from Texas Category:American football tight ends Category:Cincinnati Bengals players Category:New Orleans Saints players Category:Houston Cougars football players Category:Deaths by firearm in Texas

Name	Joseph James
Names	Alabama Jaw JackerBob ArmstrongGeorgia Jaw CrackerJim Durango
Height
Weight
Birth date	October 03, 1939
Birth place	Marietta, Georgia
Resides	Gulf Breeze, Florida
Debut	1962

Joseph Melton James (born October 3, 1939) is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, "Bullet" Bob Armstrong. In the course of his career, which spanned five decades, Armstrong held numerous championships throughout the Southeastern United States. Armstrong is also the patriarch of the Armstrong wrestling family; he has four sons (Scott, Brad, Steve and Brian), all of whom became wrestlers.

Early life

When he was a child, Joseph James's father took him to see Gorgeous George wrestle. The young James was impressed and intrigued by the flamboyant performer. As a young man, James served in the Marine Corps of the United States armed forces and was stationed in Korea. During his recruit training in Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island on Parris Island, South Carolina, James was named Honor Man. After leaving the military, he began working for the Marietta Fire Department as a firefighter in 1962.

He debuted as a wrestler in the same year, adopting the ring name "Bob Armstrong". By 1966, Armstrong had become a popular face in the Savannah, Georgia area, and in 1969 he ceased working as a firefighter and began focusing on his wrestling career.

Wrestling career

Armstrong achieved considerable popularity in the Southeastern United States, particularly in Alabama and his home state of Georgia. He frequently wrestled for affiliates of the National Wrestling Alliance, and on October 9, 1974 in Miami Beach, Florida, Armstrong unsuccessfully challenged Jack Brisco for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship.

While bench pressing a dumbbell weighing upwards of 180 lb (82 kg) in a gym in Huntington, Georgia, the bench that Armstrong was lying upon broke, leading to the weight falling on his face. Armstrong's face was severely damaged and his nose was torn entirely off, and he required $38,000 USD worth of plastic surgery to repair it. While undergoing surgery, Armstrong donned a wrestling mask to conceal his disfigured features and began using the ring name "The Bullet". As "The Bullet", Armstrong feuded with the Stud Stable in Continental Championship Wrestling. He eventually discarded the mask after his surgeries were complete, but retained the nickname "Bullet" for the remainder of his career.

Armstrong trained each of his sons to wrestle, and formed tag teams with them in the 1980s and 1990s. In the course of his career, he toured both Japan and Korea.

Semi-retirement

Armstrong went into semi-retirement in the 1990s. In addition to making occasional appearance on the independent circuit in Georgia and Alabama, Armstrong acted as the commissioner of Smoky Mountain Wrestling and worked backstage with Southeast Championship Wrestling and the Continental Wrestling Federation.

Armstrong appeared on the first weekly Total Nonstop Action Wrestling pay-per-view on June 26, 2002 alongside fellow National Wrestling Alliance veterans Corsica Joe, Dory Funk, Jr., Harley Race, Jackie Fargo and Sarah Lee. His next appearance was on the August 14, 2002 pay-per-view, where he was introduced as an on-screen authority figure and informed Jeff Jarrett that he would face a mystery opponent one week later. The mystery opponent was revealed to be "The Masked Bullet", a masked wrestler who imitated Armstrong's mannerisms (although Armstrong himself came to ringside during the match, proving that he was not the Bullet). On the August 28, 2002 pay-per-view, Jarrett fought the Bullet to a no contest before striking Armstrong with a chair. On the September 18, 2002 pay-per-view, the Bullet unmasked, revealing himself to be Armstrong's son Brian.

On December 5, 2005, Armstrong underwent arthroscopic knee surgery. Despite being advised to refrain from wrestling until March 2006, Armstrong resumed wrestling later that month.

On the December 3, 2005 episode of TNA Impact!, Armstrong returned to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, congratulating the newly formed Four Live Kru on their unity. However, at Turning Point on December 11, 2005, the Four Live Kru disintegrated, with Konnan betraying fellow members Kip James and B.G. James (the youngest son of Bob Armstrong). Armstrong declared that he would reunite the Kru and unsuccessfully petitioned the fourth former member, Ron Killings, to that effect on the December 24, episode of Impact!. One week later, Armstrong tried once more to reform the group, this time approaching Konnan. Apparently willing to negotiate, Konnan led Armstrong backstage, only for Armstrong to be ambushed and beaten down by Konnan's newly formed stable, The Latin American Exchange (LAX). Footage from Armstrong's knee surgery from earlier that month aired on iMPACT! in January 2006, with the kayfabe explanation that the assault at the hands of the LAX had necessitated the surgical repair of Armstrong's knee.

At Against All Odds on February 12, 2006, Kip and B.G. James (the James Gang) faced the Latin American Exchange, with B.G. intent upon avenging the harm done to his "daddy". The James Gang were victorious, but were ambushed by the LAX after the match. They were saved when the returning Bob Armstrong entered the ring and chased the LAX away. The confrontation led to a six man bout between the LAX and Armstrong and the James Gang at Destination X on March 12, which was won by Kip James. Despite the two consecutive victories of the James Gang, Armstrong remained hungry for revenge, and challenged Konnan to an arm wrestling contest, which was to be held on the April 8, episode of Impact!. The contest did not finish due to interference from Homicide and the newest LAX member, Hernandez, who had been sent to the locker room prior, as were the James Gang. The James Gang ran back out to the ring to help Armstrong, and later in the show a rematch was announced for Lockdown on April 23,. Armstrong went on to win the rematch in his final appearance with TNA. Recently Bob has wrestled for All Star Championship Wrestling with his son Brad, promoter Rock Parsons, and Ole Anderson.

On the January 17, 2008 episode of Impact!, B.G. announced that Bob would be his tag team partner when he used his Feast or Fired Tag Title shot. He and his son came up short at winning the championship.

A retirement show was held on May 29, 2009 at The Dothan Civic Center where many past stars came out to honor before his match in the main event. In spite of this, he continues to wrestle occasional indie shows in The Southeast.

He is currently working for "All Pro Wrestling" in Pensacola, FL.

In wrestling

Finishing moves

Jawbreaker

Entrance themes

"Bullets to Bones" by Dale Oliver (TNA)

Championships and accomplishments

Championship Wrestling from Florida

NWA Southern Heavyweight Championship (Florida version) (2 times)

Mid-South Sports/Georgia Championship Wrestling

NWA Columbus Heavyweight Championship (4 times)

NWA Columbus Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Robert Fuller

NWA Georgia Tag Team Championship (4 times) - with Dick Steinborn (1) and Robert Fuller (3)

NWA Georgia Television Championship (1 time)

NWA Macon Heavyweight Championship (3 times)

NWA Macon Tag Team Championship (6 times) - with Paul DeMarco (1), El Mongol (1), Bill Dromo (3) and Argentina Apollo (1)

NWA National Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Brad Armstrong

NWA Southern Heavyweight Championship (Georgia version) (1 time)

NWA Southeastern Tag Team Championship (Georgia version) (4 times) - with El Mongol (1), Bill Dromo (1), and Roberto Soto (2)

NWA Mid-America

NWA Mid-America Heavyweight Championship (2 times)

NWA Southern Heavyweight Championship (Memphis version) (3 times)

NWA Tri-State

NWA North American Heavyweight Championship (Tri-State version) (1 time)

Southeastern Championship Wrestling

CWF Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Brad Armstrong

NWA Alabama Heavyweight Championship (3 times)

NWA Southeast Continental Heavyweight Championship (4 times)

NWA Southeastern Heavyweight Championship (Northern version) (8 times)

NWA Southeastern Heavyweight Championship (Southern Division) (1 time)

NWA Six-Man Tag Team Championship (Southeastern version) (1 time) - with Brad Armstrong and Steve Armstrong

NWA Southeastern Tag Team Championship (Northern Division) (8 times) - with Ken Lucas (1), Robert Fuller (2), Jos LeDuc (2), Steve Armstrong (1), and Brad Armstrong (2)

NWA Southeastern Tag Team Championship (Southern Division) (1 time) - with Robert Fuller

NWA Southeastern Television Championship (Southern Division) (1 time)

Pro Wrestling Illustrated

*PWI ranked him # 155 of the 500 best singles wretlers of the "PWI Years" in 2003.

¹Title was awarded to them sometime in 2005 though the records are unclear as to the exact date and which promotion they wrestled in at the time.

See also

References

Interview with Brian James

Recap of Bob Armstrong Radio Interview

Samoa Joe / TNA update, Armstrong leg injury, more

External links

Bob Armstrong at Bodyslamming.com

Bob Armstrong at Cagematch.de

Bob Armstrong Profile at OWW

Category:1939 births Category:American firefighters Category:American professional wrestlers Category:Living people Category:People from Marietta, Georgia Category:Professional wrestling executives Category:Professional wrestling trainers Category:United States Marines